


Wolf's Howl

by baby_doll (angel_bubbles)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Almost a cyberpunk au, Alternate Universe - Future, Animal Traits, Doctor Midorima Shintarou, M/M, Werewolves, almost, almost a dystopian, almost post apocalyptic, most of it takes place in the rain, wolf kuroko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 09:26:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12956271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_bubbles/pseuds/baby_doll
Summary: Admittedly, he doesn't know much about the wolf situation-he'd heard from his father that they were being hunted to extinction, but never the details. He doesn't know why they're considered so subhuman that they don't deserve to live, but he's never put much thought into it because if he were to think too hard on it, he would probably get far too involved far too fast and accidentally make the problem worse.But it's even obvious to someone with minimal knowledge on the subject that this practice is unjust. He will never understand the people in these meetings who talk about them as though they're pesky, dirty animals instead of intelligent, perfectly capable people who happen to be built a little differently from them.Perhaps it is just the nature of humans, to desire the eradication of all that they find strange.





	1. Predator's Stare

Akashi always did hate the meetings his father would drag him to. If it wasn't a group of out of touch old men yelling over each other over trivial matters, it was a petty group of rich people essentially convincing one another that anyone different from them was worthless. Either way, he would always tune them out after only a few minutes and sit in silence as long as he was able.

This time, it seems the topic of discussion involved wolf hybrids.

"No matter how close we come to total elimination, there's always a few that get away," one of them says. His voice is hoarse and rough as though he's smoked since childhood. "They're too fast to catch, and even though we've decimated the surrounding forest regions, they still manage to hide from our sights."

"I suggest we put up stronger infrared cameras along the outer walls," another chimes in. She sounds as though she has had everything in life handed to her on a silver platter. "Their body heat is notoriously high. Certainly there's no way for them to avoid them."

"But they're already hiding from their sights. I doubt stronger cameras would do much difference."

"Maybe we just need to investigate house by house?" The next voice is calm, almost peppy. Their tone is sickening given the topic at hand. "You know. Grab any pesky wolves hiding in plain sight while also intimidating the general public so they're not tempted to hide any of them. We have the manpower to do it, right?"

"We do. But if we do that, then the public will know for sure that we're desperate to catch the last of the wolves. They will lose trust in us."

"Good point. Perhaps we are missing a part of the puzzle."

It's about then that Akashi finally tunes them all out, having heard enough. He resists the urge to sigh and instead allows himself to sink into his thoughts.

Admittedly, he doesn't know much about the wolf situation-he'd heard from his father that they were being hunted to extinction, but never the details. He doesn't know why they're considered so subhuman that they don't deserve to live, but he's never put much thought into it because if he were to think too hard on it, he would probably get far too involved far too fast and accidentally make the problem worse.

He knows what they look like and what they are known for, of course. He's never seen one in person, but if the posters commonly found on buildings and old power lines are anything to go by, they're quite deadly. Sharp teeth and sharp claws, dangerous and aggressive and uncivilized. They have all the characteristics of a wolf, but for the most part their body is fairly humanoid. 

While he's hesitant to believe such propaganda, he knows that the average civilian almost has the right to fear wolf people, if they're so closely similar to an incredibly dangerous apex predator.

Now that he thinks about it, perhaps that's why they're hunted so often.

But it's even obvious to someone with minimal knowledge on the subject that this practice is unjust. He will never understand the people in these meetings who talk about them as though they're pesky, dirty animals instead of intelligent, perfectly capable people who happen to be built a little differently from them. 

Perhaps it is just the nature of humans, to desire the eradication of all that they find strange.

He hears someone cough, and he refocuses his attention. "Pardon me. What was that?"

The spoilt woman turns up her nose at him, and raises an eyebrow in his father's direction as though asking him why his son would ignore her. He doesn't look at him, but he knows the look his father is giving her very well.

"What I said was," she begins after a while. "I think the young Akashi should give us his opinion."

The bubbly voice chirps in. "Yeah! Little Akashi doesn't talk much here, I bet he's got lots of things to say."

Akashi sardonically considers expelling of all the things he has desired to say indeed, but wisely keeps his mouth shut as he can feel his father's eyes on him. A warning. He stares at his hands folded above the glossy table and schools his face into one of false engagement.

"I think that perhaps, the solution is as simple as expanding the area in which troops patrol. We have long established good relations with our nearing allies, so they would have no reason to be concerned about an increase in investigative range."

The gravelly-voiced man shoots him a considering look. "Hmm...that is a very interesting proposition, Akashi heir."

"Hey, that's probably what they're doing! They're hiding just outside the area of patrol because we've kept the same stakeout range for, like, ever."

"So I see..." the woman smooths her jacket. "Maybe you are not so inept as I thought, young Akashi. However, the elder Akashi would do well to keep your manners in check."

He can feel Masaomi's eyes on him once again, but still he keeps his head forward. The oncoming lecture is sure to be bothersome, and there is no reason to feed the beast by making eye contact. He nods, and once the meeting resumes without his input, he turns his attention away from the table and stares outside at the dark, rainy sky above.

Just another pointless meeting on a pointless day in a pointless city. 

.  
.  
.

Thankfully, his father keeps the lecture short. He manages to escape the house with minimal damage to his hearing, donning a warm rain jacket and an umbrella to keep dry. The pitch black sky above is permeated by a long stretch of bulbous, weeping grey clouds with just the barest hint of blue beneath the surface. Rain pours down hard on the bustling city and its many inhabitants, but Akashi never halted in the face of poor weather.

Grateful for mandatory waterproof shoes, he treads along the damp sidewalk with his head down and umbrella declined to avoid being recognized. He watches his feet alternate in their movements, forward and back and forward again, and takes in the sounds of a sleepless city with some degree of nostalgia.

Long ago, he would take walks like this with his childhood friend, Shintaro. He was always the picky sort, and insisted upon dressing up to the highest degree before exiting the house in weather like this. As a result he was always overheated within minutes of leaving, and Akashi would have to stifle his laughter as his friend tried not to emote his discomfort.

Shintaro had been his only respite from his busy schedule and unrelenting duties. No matter how many engagements Akashi was forced into, an afternoon in Shintaro's company would always relieve all the stress he'd accumulated throughout the day. They would often play shogi together in the spare wing of Akashi's mansion, not talking but simply enjoying one another's presence. 

But then, the amount of expectations placed on the young heir suddenly skyrocketed, and he no longer had any time for his only friend. Shintaro stopped coming to the mansion, and more and more of Akashi's nights were spent in the dimly lit study adjacent his room, only coming to a close as light began to appear over the horizon.

The only contact they had from that point on was occasionally through meetings. Akashi's father and Shintaro's would sometimes work together, and during those chance meetings they would catch up with one another as best they could without displeasing their parents. He could admit that he was extraordinarily saddened by the direction their friendship had taken, but he was grateful that they at least had some contact together, as sparse as said contact was.

Then he disappeared.

Shintaro was no longer with his father at those meetings, and the doctor would avoid eye contact with the Akashi heir. Neither the doctor nor his father seemed interested in telling him what happened to Shintaro, and the only reason he found out he was missing was due to overhearing a private conversation between two councilors. 

_"...tell the young Akashi?"_

_Akashi froze in his steps and slowly turned toward the source of the voice. Quietly he clung to the wall and leaned closer, hoping to hear more._

_"He...handle it, he's...well."_

_He frowned. He could only hear bits and pieces of what they're saying, even though he was so close. He silently hoped whatever they're saying would be obvious enough to piece together on his own._

_"How...him that...Shintaro...ing?"_

_Shintaro? Akashi's eyes widened and he strained his sense of hearing in an attempt to hear better._

_"No one...what happened to...he just...vanished."_

_"Is that...said? I heard...murdered."_

_His blood froze, and his body went numb. Shintaro...was murdered? No, that's not possible. Certainly news as big as that would be plastered all over the news. And not only that, his father would have shown a bit more emotion during their meetings._

_Wouldn't he have?_

_The councilors' voices faded, and he realized they had walked away. He swallowed hard, and sank to the floor, overcome with a sense of loss._

That was three years ago. Since then, there has been no word on Shintaro's whereabouts or any sort of speculation regarding it. It's as though he simply dropped off the face of the earth, and it will never fail to agitate Akashi that nobody seems to care about where he went or what happened to him. 

Especially not his father.

If anything, the man seems glad his son's only friend vanished into thin air. It's as though he knows that without Akashi's pillar of strength, he's free to order him around as much as he wants without the fear of Shintaro leaking his abusive tendencies to the council. Akashi growls and kicks at a puddle, stomping along the sidewalk with more force than usual.

Sometimes, it feels as if the universe is laughing at him.

Out of nowhere, he catches movement out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively, his head turns toward it. He turns away upon initially seeing nothing, but then pauses in his tracks when he realizes that he had indeed seen something. He slowly turns back, and his breathing stops for a second at the sight before him.

It's a dog. It has black and white fur, patterned in a similar way to a husky. Its body is built in a way that suggests above average strength, and its tail stands rigid behind it as though it feels threatened. It doesn't seem to be posed in a particularly aggressive manner though, so perhaps it is simply startled. But that's not why Akashi suddenly finds himself unable to move in its presence.

Its eyes are a bright, vibrant, and piercing blue. They bore into his soul and seem to pin him in place like an antelope under a cheetah. Those icy, rigid eyes send a feeling of being examined and dissected throughout his body despite them not moving at all. 

Akashi is no stranger to the gaze of a predator. He sees it every time he meets his father's eyes.

Then, the dog turns and sprints away. It had only taken a second for the animal to disappear completely from his field of vision, and Akashi only regains his ability to move when it's gone. Blinking a few times to compensate for his paralyzed staredown, he takes a hesitant step forward. Before he knows it, he's following the dog at an increasingly fast pace. He scans each new alleyway, searching for the telltale black tip of the dog's tail.

Even as he's running he doesn't know why he's so desperate to catch the dog. It's almost as if his body is moving on its own, free from Akashi's will. It's propelling itself further, something having convinced it that the animal was somehow worth following. He allows his movements to continue, having become genuinely curious about the odd situation he's found himself in.

The neon lights of the city all blur together in the rain, but he pays them no mind. All that matters now is finding the dog.

After a long and tiresome chase, he finds himself in what appears to be an old, abandoned factory. Old, useless lumber is strewn all about, suggesting the factory had been shut down without warning. Gingerly, he explores the area, keeping an eye out for the tail he'd been chasing so desperately just seconds earlier.

The main building is tall, dark, and dreary. A chimney-like fixture sits atop it, and maybe once smoke would have pumped through it but no longer. The windows are all broken or missing, and the door is completely gone off its hinges. Water damage is prominent along the walls, indicating that it's likely been abandoned for several years now, if not decades. The metal roof is broken in most places, and rusted in many others. Pieces of it litter the ground, crumpled and forgotten just like the rest of the yard.

Attached to the main building by high piping is another, smaller building. This one appears far more run down than its larger counterpart, appearing to have suffered a large fire at some point. The outside is charred and black, and the roof is on the verge of collapse, folding like a hammock right in the middle of the building and effectively crushing down the already damaged walls. He would say that this one would be difficult to breathe in, but interestingly, a wooden plank runs from the roof of the first building to the second, perhaps suggesting that someone has been using it as a hideout.

But, it isn't hard to guess what kind of person would hide there, if the deep, jagged claw marks marring the poor, mutilated building are any indication.

The yard outside is no better than the abandoned factory buildings. The ground is arid and hostile-looking despite the rain, almost as though it simply isn't capable of soaking up moisture any more. A few buckets are left out in the open, collecting rain water. Idly, he wonders if the hideout isn't actually a hideout, but a home. The thought saddens him.

Piles of scrap metal litter the yard, some withered and broken into sharp slabs and others cut into perfect rectangles. If he had to guess, he would say they were likely intended for use somewhere on old-fashioned houses. A couple of them look as though they have been chewed through by something. He swallows hard and starts putting the pieces together.

Out of nowhere, he feels a chill run through his spine. His neck constricts as a response, and he carefully scans the area in its entirety once more. 

Someone, or something, is watching him.

Given the hesitant conclusion he had recently come to, he begins to feel very uncomfortable being in such a secluded place. He holds his umbrella in a death grip, pulling it down until it's almost touching his hair. If there's a wolf here, it won't do him any good, but since he's not completely certain there's a wolf perhaps it will not matter. What does matter is that it's assuaging his current anxiety somewhat. 

As he steps into the center of the yard, his footsteps suddenly become much louder. He looks down and realizes the ground around the main building is mostly metal. He curses his luck and takes a step back, not willing to make a lot of noise for the sake of exploration. His situation is dangerous enough without him drawing attention to himself, after all. 

He decides it's probably not in his best interest to stick around for much longer. It's entirely too dark to explore with any kind of safety, and despite his lack of interest in life he doesn't want to die just yet. He gives the interior of the factory a once-over, noting the pitch blackness in the deeper areas. He shivers again, and turns around.

Slowly, but surely, he begins to retreat, trying hard not to look back.

On the way, however, he pauses. The dog sits in his peripherals, staring directly at him. He turns his eyes toward the canine, silently praying that he does not anger the animal. The blue-eyed beast just looks at him, almost as if it was expecting something. Right next to it is what appears to be a manhole, covered with a heavy-looking rusty metal lid. Atop it is an eyelet with a long, thick chain attached to it. The animal doesn't gesture to it at all, but somehow Akashi knows it's what it wanted him to see.

For a moment, he actually considers getting closer and investigating. But when he realizes that he can still feel eyes on his back despite the dog being in front of him, he quickly decides against it. Instead, he hesitantly bows in apology before continuing on his way, pace quickening by the second.

He can feel both the dog and whatever else was in that yard watching him as he goes.

When he steps onto the streets again, he's immensely relieved to hear the clamor and clutter of the city's denizens, and even the distant sirens and blinding street signs are a comfort to him. He takes a deep, deep breath, and begins his walk back.

At this moment, home doesn't seem nearly as bad as it used to.


	2. Prey's Whisper

Akashi prides himself on quite a few things (as he rightfully should), including his memory. No matter how obscure the details or short the allowed time for observation is, he will always remember everything in photographic detail as though it were right in front of him. 

But, for some unknown and troubling reason, he finds himself unable to remember how he had gotten to the factory the night before.

He had found his way back no problem, so it shouldn't have been a difficult task to go there once more. Or, at least, that's what he had thought. But when he once again stopped at the place he had first seen the dog, it was as though his memory had been wiped. He couldn't remember which alleys he had run through no matter how hard he tried.

As it is, he stands in the midst of a foreign backstreet, frowning as he concludes that this was not the route he had taken.

 _I could have sworn I went in this direction,_ he thinks bitterly. _I have never been wrong before._

His frustration builds as it becomes increasingly obvious that despite his lack of incorrect experiences, he's completely lost. Everywhere he turns seems to lead to the wrong place, and sometimes he even turns into a complete dead end. Every once in a while he will find something that seems familiar, but it quickly disappears as though something doesn't want him to find the factory again.

But that's absurd.

When he feels a thrill of familiarity, he allows himself to get somewhat excited. When the place he would have sworn he turned into presents itself as a brick wall rather than an alleyway, he decides that enough is enough. He turns around and not at all bitterly begins to slink away. He scoffs to himself, grateful that there's no one around to witness the Akashi heir acting like a petulant child.

 _I can certainly find my way_ out _well enough..._

Sighing, he steps back out onto the busy street, dully noting that it felt like he was a lot further within the backstreet maze than it appears he actually was.

.  
.  
.

After the dog incident, Akashi finds himself curiously attentive to the meetings his father drags him to, so long as they involve wolf hybrids in some way.

"Have you gotten any news, Lady Shinohara?" the smoking man inquires. Every time he speaks Akashi winces, not because he feels bad for him, but because his voice grates on his nerves like no other's.

"I am afraid not," the snobby woman answers. "It seems that those damned animals are better at hiding than we previously thought. Even though we've questioned just about everyone out there from District A to District Z, we still haven't gotten any new leads."

Masaomi hums in interest. "Perhaps it is simply a matter of them evacuating the city altogether. In which case, we would have been successful in driving them away after all."

"Ah, that's true!" the chirpy voice pipes in. "But uh, aren't the security gates, like, really good? How would they have evacuated without us knowing?"

There's a collective silence around the council table as they all ponder potential answers to that question. Even Akashi frowns as he considers it, genuinely unsure of how it would be possible. Unless...

"Could it be that there's a sort of underground railroad operation that has gone undetected?"

Someone voices almost his exact thoughts, and he looks up in surprise at the new voice. Across from him is a councilor that he has never heard speak before, and his eyes immediately narrow upon recognizing her face. She scowls at him almost petulantly.

"Oh...little Midorima, how nice of you to finally join the world of the living!"

"Yes, yes, interesting indeed. But disregarding that, I must inquire what you mean by 'underground railroad operation'."

Midorima Junko crosses her arms and narrows her gaze at the other councilors, seeming to be concentrating hard on her explanation. Akashi can't help the glare that makes its way onto his face-he had never liked Shintaro's younger sister much. She was always far too malleable, far too by the book. Where Shintaro was at least practical in his application of rules, Junko was under the impression rules were to be followed no matter the consequences. 

He had always hated that attitude of hers, and it only served to make him more bitter when his father began expressing to Doctor Midorima that he was impressed with Junko's obedience. 

Anyone who made his father proud was bound to be a bad person.

"It only makes sense, Councilor Hoshizou. I am sure you are well aware of the historical event known as the underground railroad, aren't you?"

"Ah...well..."

"Can't be helped." Junko sighs and lays her hands out on the table as though she was an exasperated teacher telling a group of schoolchildren a story. Akashi's eyebrow twitches. "Long ago, in the United States, a series of channels connecting secret pathways and safe houses was created. It was by this route that over a hundred thousand slaves escaped to freedom in the neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. It went undetected for years, simply because it was so well hidden and well kept, and nobody suspected that something like that could possibly happen.

"I know that you would all like to believe that wolves are incapable and stupid creatures, but loathe as I am to say it, they are fairly intelligent. It was the same way with the slaves in ancient times-the others felt themselves so far above them that they didn't even consider a huge operation like that may be underway. We cannot underestimate our opponent. We have to put ourselves in their shoes just for a few moments, instead of looking down on them from the beginning."

Masaomi nods beside him. "You speak wise words, Councilor Midorima. Perhaps we have been looking at this situation from the wrong end of the fence after all."

"Certainly, Councilor Akashi."

"So what do you suggest we do? If something like this has been going on, we have no way of finding it," Shinohara inquires, folding her hands under her chin.

"This historical operation only came to light thanks to the work of spy operatives. If we send someone out there to act as a false ally to them, then our chances of total extermination will increase exponentially."

"Oh, interesting! But who would we send out?"

Junko's eyes meet Akashi's, and he feels dread creep up his spine as he realizes the implications of her gaze. She inclines her head, looking down her nose at him from across the table, and he has to suppress a snarl. "I would say, Councilor Asai, that the young Akashi would be the perfect candidate."

All sets of eyes fall on him at once, and he straightens his back in his own method of defiance. "And why, may I ask, would that be?"

The corner of Junko's mouth twitches, as if she had been waiting for him to ask that. She folds her hands over her mouth and stares him down as she speaks. "You see, Councilors, yesterday I saw something quite peculiar in the downtown shopping district."

Akashi freezes.

"It seems that the young Akashi caught the eye of a strange-looking dog. They stared at each other for a while, and the next thing I knew, the young Akashi was running after it as if he had been possessed. Quite odd, wouldn't you say? And it was the strangest thing, too-I followed him to sate my own curiosity, but when I entered the alleyway after him, they were both gone. As if they had both disappeared into the rain."

Masaomi's eyes bore into him, and he can feel the anger radiating off of him like an old heater. He swallows and straightens his back again, having dropped into a slouch sometime during Junko's explanation. The other councilors give him scrutinizing looks, and he can only guess what they must be thinking. He steels himself, hoping to keep their suspicions to a minimum.

"Yes, I did see a strange dog last night. I wasn't sure at first, but I recalled seeing a dog like that in a missing poster somewhere in the city the night before. I chased the animal because I wanted to bring him back to his owners. Nothing more."

Praising his own ability to lie at the drop of a hat in silence, he watches Junko's eyes roam his form for any signs of deception. Her face is unreadable when she speaks next.

"Then, how do you explain how you disappeared?"

Something about the way she worded that sentence nearly sends him into blind anger, but he restrains himself. He wants to ask her the same question, to demand that she tell him how Shintaro disappeared three years ago, and why nobody seemed phased at his vanishing act. But, she looks at him with his only friend's face, and that's the only reason he's able to convince himself not to strangle her at the nearest opportunity.

"I'm afraid I can't. Perhaps it was simply your eyesight failing you. I know your family is not well known for good eyesight."

Asai bursts into sudden laughter, seeming to find the comeback far more entertaining than they really had a right to. All of the attention in the room shifts to them as they try to catch their breath, and as the other councilors chastise them for their rude behavior, Akashi feels a pressure lifted off his chest. He can still feel Masaomi's eyes on him, though, and somehow he knows that his situation is about to become far more complicated than he had ever wanted to allow it to be.

Across the table, Junko narrows her eyes at him, and he allows himself to give her a look of distaste now that he is not the focus of the room. She scoffs and leans back in her chair, seeming to draw away from the discussion as a whole.

When the meeting is over, he's the first out of his seat. The other councilors pay him no mind, and he's just about to leave when he feels someone grab his shoulder and turn him around. He almost curses aloud as there's really no one else it could be but the current bane of his existence.

"What do you think you're playing at here?" Junko growls out. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Akashi answers truthfully.

Junko's mouth curls, and she gives him a look of pure mirth. "You might think you're clever, but one way or another I will expose you for the liar you are. I'll be watching you, _Councilor Akashi_ , and I will uncover your intentions."

With that, she gives him one last shove before turning her back to him and leaving without a look back. Akashi makes sure to glare daggers in her direction.

How did someone like Shintaro end up with a sister like Junko? It just seems unfair.

.  
.  
.

He's far more careful about his next excursion. As he drapes himself in his coat and retrieves his umbrella, he makes sure he's not being watched. After scanning over the house multiple times, he decides he's clear to leave, and silently exits the house. He knows well enough that if he's caught sneaking like this it will seem far more suspicious than it already was, and that just means that he has to not be caught. He scoffs to himself.

That should be easy enough, given that his father doesn't check up on him. 

The night is cooler than yesterday, and as a result there are less people on the street.The few that have cared to venture outdoors this late at night are completely bundled up despite shivering as though they weren't. Akashi is reminded of Shintaro again, and he curses himself for his inability to not see him everywhere he goes.

He looks upwards to avoid looking at the people. The night is clear, with hardly a cloud in the sky. What little clouds there are look dark and somber, and the light drizzle of rain serves as a small preview of the rainstorm that is sure to come soon. The wind has picked up a bit, so they drift along the starry void, spilling their sadness onto whoever might be below them. 

Akashi thinks he might have something in common with them.

Eventually he returns his gaze to the road in front of him. Census robots speed along the ground with blinking lights, taking note of everyone they happen to see in the exact location they are seen. He knows from the council meetings that these census records are taken for safety purposes-in case of a crime, the census can act as a list of suspects. He personally thinks this method is a little overcomplicated, but he doesn't feel like bringing it up to the council in case they decide to do something even worse.

A census robot scans him, and he holds his breath for a second. It beeps, and keeps going on its own way. He allows himself to breathe again.

If he was allowed to roam free, that means the council has not placed him on watch. If that were the case, he would be taken into the police force's custody where it would be decided if he would be returned to his home or thrown in prison. 

Frankly, neither one of them sound very savory.

He looks down, watching little droplets send ripples through the many puddles on the ground. They drop, and drop, and drop, and he finds himself enthralled by them. They're so small, but they can do so much in the face of something so big. He wonders if it takes courage to do that, or if they've been forced into it against their will.

Then he laughs, quietly. They're only rain drops. What's gotten into him?

He stops when he sees something peculiar reflected in the water. He grips his umbrella tighter and turns his gaze upward, hoping that his eyes aren't playing tricks on him.

The dog stands before him once more, just as large and just as predatory as ever. Akashi takes a deep breath. He hadn't noticed before, but this mysterious animal was far larger than any sort of dog he had ever seen before. He's almost hesitant to call it a dog-a small bear, perhaps, but not a common domestic canine. 

He can only speculate on how sharp those claws must be.

Blue eyes pierce his soul again, and suddenly he realizes that the dog is standing in the middle of the busy street. He almost panics, about to retreat. Then, with more than a little confusion, he notices that no one seems to see it but him. People walk past the massive beast as though he weren't even there at all, or it was just a common occurrence to see a hulking sharp-toothed animal on the sidewalk. He frowns, and moves to take a step forward.

As soon as his foot touches the ground, the beast runs off just as it had the first time. Taking the cue to follow it, he gingerly studies his surroundings to be certain Junko isn't around before he takes off after it. 

The gigantic animal leads him through the alley labyrinth once more, and Akashi notices with some degree of surprise that it seems slower than it was the night before.

Could it be slowing down so he doesn't get lost?

He hadn't known dogs were that smart.

They arrive once more at the abandoned factory, and Akashi is suddenly very relieved to now know for sure that it wasn't a dream or a hallucination. The dog is nowhere to be found, possibly having run off while he was lost in thought. The air is stagnant and somber just like it was before, and his grip on the umbrella tightens as he steps forward.

He doesn't feel someone watching him this time.

A couple of the buckets are now emptied of their water, only filled partially now due to the lack of good rain. He supposes that whoever put them out there had taken them in after he left, or perhaps in the morning. 

The sound of paws catches his attention behind him, and he doesn't have to look to know what's making the sound. He listens to the dog trot over to where he knows the manhole is. It puts a paw down on the chain to make noise, presumably in order to catch his attention. He turns then, making eye contact with it. 

"You're really insistent, aren't you," he asks, dully. "Have something you want to show me down there? Maybe a torture room where you'll tear me apart and then invite all your dog friends over for dinner?"

He hadn't expected a response, obviously, but to his surprise the dog actually gives him a look of annoyance. 

"Can you understand me?"

The expression doesn't change, and Akashi heaves a sigh. 

"So this is what has become of my life. I'm talking to a dog in the middle of an abandoned yard, and I'm actually about to crawl into a hole with it."

He massages his temples with his free hand and steps forward, noting the dog taking a couple steps back. It sits there patiently as he sets down his umbrella and experimentally tugs on the chain with one hand, and when it doesn't break immediately he pulls on it a bit harder with both. The lid starts to move, and with some satisfaction he thinks only a person with above average strength would be able to lift it the way he has.

The rusty metal creaks and shifts, sending out a less than agreeable noise that Akashi promptly winces upon hearing. It shrieks as he finally tugs it all the way open, and it lands with a heavy thud on the dirt below. The dog seems pleased by this, and it quickly springs forward into the void now exposed by the absence of the heavy lid. He raises an eyebrow.

"Well. At least you won't be behind me."

He swears he hears an offended noise from the blackness, and he allows himself a small grin. He reaches down and retrieves his umbrella, folding it up and hooking it under his elbow. Hesitantly, he peeks down into the abyss and makes a considering noise.

"I don't suppose there's a ladder."

A growl is his answer, and he rolls his eyes. Of course not. This creature seems exceptionally bothersome, so why would he make Akashi's life even a tiny bit easier? He sighs in resignation and tries reason that if the dog could survive the fall, he could too. 

He also tries not to reason that the dog is much larger than he is.

Steeling himself, he reluctantly crawls into the hatch. He hangs off the edge and feels around with his feet hoping to find ground. He finds none, and he considers just going home when he feels something yank on his pant leg. He gasps in indignation when he realizes the dog is pulling on him.

"Hey, what do you-these are expensive-have you no shame?!"

Apparently not, because the dog is not gentle at all in tugging him from the edge of the hole and onto the floor in an undignified heap. For a second he fears that he may have died, but when his rational brain kicks in he realizes that the ground was actually not that far from the hatch at all. He gives the dog a glare and stands to brush himself off.

"Bothersome creature." He wonders how he was ever afraid of the animal when he's so clearly not a threat to him. Maybe a threat to his thousand dollar pants, but not a threat to his person.

Suddenly, all light disappears with an ominous thump. He looks up and realizes that the hatch has just been closed. He frowns-if both of them were down here, then who was up there?

His thoughts are interrupted as he hears the dog trot away, and he strains his hearing to follow it. If he were to lose track of the dog now, there's no telling what might happen to him. He follows close behind but not close enough to bump into it. 

Their footsteps echo throughout whatever they're walking through. It sounded like rock at first, but now it sounds more like a fully furbished tunnel. He can only speculate on what it might look like, since it seems that all outside sources of light have been eliminated entirely, and there doesn't seem to be any inside sources at all.

Eventually, in the distance he notices a small blur of light. It's not strong enough to illuminate anything, but at least he won't go completely insane from sensory deprivation. He keeps his eyes trained on the tiny light, identifying it as a candle flame after a few seconds. The dog speeds up its pace and he quickly follows suit, taking the hint. The light starts to move, and that's when he realizes that someone was holding it.

Footsteps start toward them, and the dog lets out a bark. This triggers a chain reaction of other, louder barks from other dogs hidden in the shadows that nearly scares Akashi out of his skin. The sounds of the paws all mix together in a big pile, and he imagines that they must be excited to see one another.

The candle comes closer to him, and stops directly in front of him. Slowly, it comes upward, stopping at about eye level, and he can finally see something in the unrelenting blackness.

A single blue eye seeming somehow indifferent greets him, and a small, soft voice barely makes itself heard over the canine excitement.

"Hello, Akashi-kun. I have been waiting for you."


	3. Familiarity

"I'm quite impressed. It only took a couple tries to coerce you into following my friend."

"I'm not sure that's something to be impressed by. It's probably more of something to be vaguely concerned by, because who in their right mind would follow a vicious demon dog into a hole in the ground? Me, apparently."

The dog keeper cracks a smile at that, and Akashi feels a wave of tension wash away.

The walk to a well-lit area had been long, but somehow when in this newcomer's presence, he felt a lot less wary about the entire situation. That could also have been due to the fact that as they walked, the dogs barked and wrestled enthusiastically all the way. He had to be jealous of their eyesight, since he still couldn't make out a single thing other than the candle flame and a few parts of the hand carrying it.

As they got further down, he heard some kind of stream flowing nearby, and the echoes of the dogs sounded a little more prominent. Judging by the pungent smell filling the area, he could guess that it was probably a sewer system. He tried not to think too hard about it, and followed the animals and their keeper up a ladder and into a new area, and then past a creaky door. The dogs moved in a horde to a different room almost immediately, significantly quieting their loud discussion.

The two bipeds had come to a cramped, dingy little room with a lived-in look. All around them, books lined shelves and sat in stacks on the stone floor, with some papers scattered about as though one of them had been torn open and left to fossilize. A little desk sat in the corner, topped with papers and a couple oddly clean folders. He frowned at that, wondering why they looked so out of place in this environment.

There were a few coats hung up on a nearby wall, the pockets of which were visibly stretched-presumably from being filled to the brim one too many times. He noted with some degree of amusement that the buckets that had been previously missing from the factory yard were on a table next to a pile of blankets that acted as a makeshift bed. 

Candles and tiny wall lights lined the room, and it was thanks to this that Akashi finally got a good look at the dog keeper.

A wolf hybrid. Pastel hair stuck out all over as if he'd woken up just moments ago and he was dressed in somewhat worn-out clothing, with scuffs and more than a few areas of visibly raised thread from where a hole had been sewn shut. Akashi in his raincoat had shivered when he noticed he was not wearing a coat nor any kind of visibly warm clothing. He observed a fluffy appendage swishing behind the dog keeper, and raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

The animal hybrid gave him a sympathetic look.

"I'm sure that this is all very overwhelming for you. Try not to worry, the situation will sort itself out in due time," the wolf said, matter-of-fact. "For now, I would simply like to speak with you."

So led to their current conversation. The wolf had been very understanding, and didn't rush into anything despite their abrupt meeting. Akashi was grateful, as this meant he got to sit down for a while. 

The journey here hadn't been short, after all. His legs are quite tired.

"So. First things first. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm sure you have noticed by now, but I'm a hybrid," he says, gesturing to his ears. "I have been living in this tunnel system for my entire life. There used to be others here with me, but...well. I'm sure you, as a surface dweller, can figure out their fates on your own."

Akashi feels some guilt at that, swallowing hard with a nod.

"Now." Kuroko folds his clawed hands in his lap. "We should get into the thick of it. I've brought you here for...multiple reasons. The first of which being, my outside informants have told me about your hesitance toward the humans' course of action regarding my kind. I'd like to inquire about your thoughts on the matter."

His informants? "What informants?"

"Perhaps I will tell you about them sometime in the future, after I have decided whether or not you are to be trusted."

Akashi isn't exactly satisfied with that answer, but he'll have to deal with it for now. "Understood." He leans back slightly. "I have a somewhat unpopular opinion on the hybrid situation. I don't think it's wise or rational to exterminate a species simply for being different."

"An unpopular opinion, indeed."

"Yes. I have never seen a wolf hybrid in person, but if I am completely honest, I was expecting you to look a little more..."

"Monstrous?" Kuroko finishes with a strange smile.

"Well...yes."

The wolf nods solemnly. "It is not uncommon for humans to be surprised by our appearance. Human propaganda is well-known to exaggerate our feral features for the sake of justifying their actions. It is an old and somewhat barbaric tactic, though it yields quite efficient results."

"So I have noticed."

The wolf nods and shifts his hands in his lap. "So tell me, Akashi-kun. The way you speak seems to suggest you believe that you are above your fellow humans. Why is it that you think this?"

Akashi opens his mouth to retort that he doesn't believe such a thing, but he closes it once he realizes that would be a lie. Perplexed, he slumps a bit and allows a pensive look to cross his face.

Why _does_ he think he's better than other humans? Is it because he thinks a certain way on a certain topic? But that doesn't make sense, because there's bound to be others who think a unique way as well and think of him as ignorant for not sharing their views. What is it that makes him so sure he's right in feeling this way while it is wrong for others to feel the same?

Kuroko speaks up when the silence stretches on too long.

"Humans are very complex creatures, Akashi-kun. You cannot determine a person's worth based on one view that they have. Certainly, I am inclined to dislike people who see my kind as a pest needing extermination, but I don't think of myself as being above them. But...this doesn't mean that I will dislike someone for doing so. It's all a matter of opinion."

Akashi frowns. "But it's the humans that share that 'opinion' that have nearly wiped your species from the face of the earth. How could you not instantly hate someone who is on their side?"

Clawed fingers twiddle idly in the crease created by slim thighs. "It is...difficult sometimes, I will admit. When I remember what they did to my kind...to my family...it makes me angry."

The solemn tone in the wolf's voice makes the human look up from the floor in interest.

"In a way, I sort of want to hate them. I want to use the rage I have for what they've done to bring them to their knees the same way they've tried to bring me to mine. But if I do that..." he pauses, and gives Akashi a sad smile. "I won't be much better than them, will I?"

"You could say that," Akashi begins, slowly. "But I disagree. Intolerance is not defeated by tolerance. Intolerance is defeated by intolerance to intolerance. You can sit on your knees and take what they have dealt you without a word, but if you do that they will only continue to tear at you. I've seen it many times now. If a person takes everything lying down it will never stop. You need to stand up and demand that they stop, demand that they feel shame for the sins and atrocities they have committed. Show them that you are not a doormat to be walked on, that instead you are a vengeful force that is not to be trifled with. Only then will the rain of fire cease to burn."

Kuroko stares at him in surprise, and it's only then that Akashi realizes he's panting from the amount of passion he'd spoken with. He looks just as surprised as the wolf does, perhaps even more so.

He hadn't known he felt that way before. He hesitantly looks up and catches Kuroko's gaze. 

It's only then that he realizes how dazzlingly blue his eyes are.

Then, suddenly, the sound of giggles fills the room. Akashi blinks when he realizes that the wolf hybrid is laughing at him.

"S-sorry, Akashi-kun, it's just..." Kuroko covers his face in an attempt to stifle his laughter. The parts of his face that are still visible are reddening by the second. "That was such a human thing to do."

"What does that mean?" Akashi asks, flushing in partial embarrassment.

"Nothing, nothing..."

The wolf coughs a few times and the giggles gradually fade. He sits back up and takes a deep breath, smoothing out his features into something a little less troublesome for the human in his company. He folds his hands in his lap again, and gives him a strangely fond look.

"He told me that you could be a little over the top at times, but I didn't really believe him. Maybe I should listen to him a little more carefully."

"Ha-ha. I'm not over the...wait a moment, who is 'he'?"

Kuroko purses his lips and twirls his fingers again. Akashi correctly assumes it's a nervous habit of his.

"I...confess that I am not by myself down here. There is someone here who has been looking after my health for quite some time now. I am naturally weak-bodied, so he certainly has his work cut out for him." He pauses. "He is the second reason I have brought you here."

Akashi blinks. "What...?"

"He requested your presence. I think the guilt became a little too much for him to handle. I kept trying to tell him it would be extremely risky for all three of us, but he didn't seem too bothered. Eventually I decided that I could do this for him, since he has already done so much for me."

"Wait, slow down. You still haven't told me who 'he' is."

"You will know. Come. I have kept you for too long-he is waiting for you."

The wolf rises, and Akashi quickly follows suit, getting a little light headed from the speed at which he had moved. Kuroko retrieves his candle and motions for Akashi to follow him.

Akashi isn't quite sure what to make of the situation. It had definitely been confusing at first, but at this point his head is almost spinning from all the new information. He's grateful this time around for the lack of dogs keeping them company, as their barking would likely only increase his agitation.

They walk in the same direction they had been before stopping at Kuroko's room, through the sewer. Once again, Akashi has to keep his disgust internalized for fear of being laughed at. The walk is silent save for their footsteps.

Eventually they reach another room. Akashi is grateful that it had not been nearly as long as the first walk was. 

Kuroko stands to the side, obviously intending for him to go in alone. He frowns.

"That's incredibly suspicious, you know. You have me in the middle of an underground tunnel and you want me to go somewhere unaccompanied? It almost seems like you're leading me into a trap."

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it before you ranted to me."

Akashi gapes, and Kuroko giggles at him again. He narrows his eyes and huffs.

"Rude."

He sighs and turns toward the rickety-looking door, still a bit apprehensive. He spares Kuroko a last glance before slowly pushing on it.

The room is not unlike Kuroko's own in shape, though it seems to be much neater in composition. The books contained here are kept neatly within their shelves, and papers sit in neat stacks all around. The floor is as clean as it can be, given the location it resides within. It's such a contrast to the state of Kuroko's room that he's taken aback for a second.

He steps in, and suddenly he realizes there's someone in the room already. He doesn't immediately recognize the other human, but when their features come into view, Akashi's mouth goes dry. He takes a step back, staring at a face he never thought he would see again.

"...Shintaro?"


	4. Stagnant

The tension in the room practically manifests itself physically due to the sheer volume of it. Despite spending so many years thinking of all the things he would say to Shintaro if he ever met him again, Akashi draws a complete blank. It had been a purely hypothetical situation in his mind, and now that it's happening for real he doesn't know what to do.

Fortunately, his old friend is patient and understanding as he always was, and sits across from him in silence, not pushing him toward any course of action. It's thanks to this calm quietude that Akashi is able to collect and assemble all his thoughts into words.

"I thought you were dead."

They're simple, but they get the job done. Shintaro looks to the side in guilt, and and bites his upper lip from the inside. Akashi could nearly cry at the familiarity of it, realizing he can finally see all of his friend's nervous habits in person again. He feels his body begin to tremble with the effort it takes to keep his emotions in check.

"I heard...the other councilors speaking about you. Hushed whispers in the halls where they would gossip about your disappearance. They would say you were disposed of for opposing them...that you got too close to my family and paid the price. Some said you ran away." Akashi's grip on his pantlegs tightens. "...did you?"

Shintaro seems to choose his words carefully. "Not exactly. I did not plan to disappear the way that I did. Fate decided it for me."

"Fate? Is that what is to blame here?" Thin red eyebrows crease between one another. "Fate is what took my only friend from me? Fate is the reason I sit alone at home, wondering why everything I love perishes before me? Fate is why I run away from home every night just to escape my wretched father? Because if fate is to blame for everything leading up to this moment, I would say it has a horrible, sick sense of humor."

Shintaro flinches. "Akashi, it's not like that. Please let me explain."

"By all means, Shintaro. Tell me what was so terribly important that you would abandon me without a word."

"I did not abandon you on purpose." Shintaro takes a deep breath. "I found this place by accident. I was taking notes regarding some suspicious activity in the area when I came across the factory. That's when I saw the dog."

Akashi perks up, despite himself. "The black and white one?"

"Yes, that one. He was running every which way, barking and whimpering with every step. When he saw me he charged at me and yanked on my clothing, dragging me towards the hole in the ground. I thought he was trying to kill me, but he was leading me."

 _Just like he did with me..._ Akashi thinks. He silently urges Shintaro to continue. 

"He lead me to Kuroko, lying on the ground struggling to breathe. He'd had a massive asthma attack and was close to death. I'd been carrying a pen to take notes with that I opened his airway with, and his breathing eventually regulated." Shintaro folds his hands under his head. "He was in terrible shape, though. Torn clothes, covered in scratches and bruises. Leaving him that way would render all my previous work pointless, so I returned to the surface for more supplies and treated him in full.

"When he was finally able to talk again, he told me he was grateful for my help, but that it really had been pointless as he was going to die soon anyway. He told me that everyone in his family had died of sudden cardiac failure, and he was close to their average lifespan. Though, according to him, it's a preventable condition.

"My pride as a doctor would have been compromised if I had treated him and left him to die afterward, so I stayed behind. I considered returning to ease everyone's concerns about my whereabouts, but that was not an option. If I were to leave a paper trail on accident, it would lead to certain disaster. You know how the government is-they'd never leave it alone, and everyone in association with my family would be affected in the worst possible way. I apologize, Akashi, I truly do. It was a difficult decision to make, but it had to be made."

Akashi, in his emotional stupor, very nearly demands to know why a stranger's wellbeing had been put above his own, but he manages to keep himself quiet. Truth be told, in that situation, he isn't sure what he would have done. He bites his cheek to keep his words in, and quietly mutters, "so I see."

Another silence passes between them. Shintaro's eyes are sad despite his unwavering expression, and Akashi feels a stab of guilt through his chest. Certainly, Akashi was horrifically affected by Shintaro's disappearance, but now it's becoming clear that it was a mutual experience. He could hardly imagine being in his old friend's shoes, staying hidden deep underground for years, tending to a sickly wolf with no contact with the outside world. It's a terrible thought, and Akashi's feelings slowly begin to shift as his thoughts continue.

"Did the wolf know what you were doing?"

"He did." Shintaro nods. "I was not going to keep the truth from him. I told him everything. He was extremely opposed to the idea, and refused to let me treat him for a while, but when it became clear I was not leaving, he relented. Though, he still tells me I should return home where I belong."

Akashi leans back in his seat and stares down at his shoes, dirty and worn from the trip. Shintaro stays quiet.

Once more, he feels his world crumbling around him. Everything he had ever come to know as truth, or at least probability, has been challenged and dashed swiftly and without hesitation. His head spins with possibilities, and he wonders just how much else in his life is a complete and utter lie.

"I was lonely, you know," he breathes. "It wasn't easy to face my father alone. It was difficult."

"I know," Shintaro nods quietly. "I know it was, and I'm sorry."

Akashi turns to the side, staring at the door. On the other side of those wooden slats stands the thing that had taken his best friend from him. That person occupied his thoughts so wholly that he had willingly abandoned everything he had on the surface world to care for him. He supposes that he should be mad at a person like that.

But, somehow, he's not.

The wolf is strange. He's bland and small, overwhelmingly average in every facet of his being. Even someone who's only been around him for mere minutes would know that. Yet, he exudes the aura of someone worthy of protection, as though his wide puppy eyes are capable of awakening the mother hen in anyone who sees them up close. The more he thinks about it, the more he understands why Shintaro made the decision he had.

"You're a very caring person, aren't you, Shintaro?"

He seems startled by the sudden declaration. "What?"

Akashi turns to him with a small smile. "You didn't want to leave the wolf alone because you knew he would die on his own. You didn't even know him, and you had already decided his life was more valuable than your own. That's very admirable."

Shintaro flushes in frustration. "I didn't-that's not what-"

As his friend flounders before him, Akashi has to suppress a fond chuckle at his expense. 

Even after all this time, Midorima Shintaro is exactly the same as he always was.

.  
.  
.

"Have you finished catching up?"

Akashi passes a smile to the blue-eyed wolf, whose ear flicks in curiosity. "Yes. Thank you for this, Kuroko."

Kuroko shrugs. "You probably shouldn't thank me yet. I still don't know if this was a wise course of action. Now that you have seen this place, there's no going back. We've been exposed. All I can do from this point on is hope that you will keep it to yourself."

"You needn't worry about that," Akashi says with confidence. "If Shintaro has decided to keep this place secret, then so will I. His decision is mine."

The wolf hums. "We will see about that."

The door creaks open once more, and Shintaro steps out from the room, closing the noisy door behind him. Kuroko's ears notably perk when he sees him, and Akashi raises an eyebrow.

"Midorima-kun. Are you coming with to see Akashi-kun off?"

"Of course," he states as though it's the most inane question he's ever been asked. "It would be rude of me not to."

"You always were one for proper etiquette. Come, then. It's nearly dark."

Kuroko starts walking, the two humans following him close behind. Akashi gives him a pointed glance. "You can tell the time on the surface?"

Blank blue eyes turn towards him for just a second before returning forward. "Of course I can. Can't you?"

"No. I have never before been underground long enough to develop that kind of skill set. Not only that, but I'm fairly certain that's something only a wolf could do."

"You're not wrong."

A silence passes, filled only with the sounds of dogs barking and playing amongst each other in the darkness, either far behind or far ahead. The echos radiate across the tunnel in every direction, making it impossible for Akashi's human ears to know where they are coming from. He knows well enough that Kuroko's superior sense of hearing could probably pinpoint the exact location of each separate bark from each separate dog. 

Speaking of.

"So, Kuroko. Why are there so many dogs here?"

"They make far better conversation than humans do."

"You can speak to them?"

Kuroko turns his dead stare on Akashi and stops in his tracks. "No, of course not. Nobody can talk to dogs, Akashi-kun."

Akashi stares at him not unlike a fish. Shintaro stifles a laugh next to him.

The wolf's eyes suddenly lighten. "Just kidding. Yes, I can talk to them."

He continues forward with Shintaro, but Akashi stays behind to stare at his back in sheer confusion with a tiny drop of frustration. Eventually his brain processes the situation in full and he's able to move his legs again. 

"You are a bizarre being, Kuroko. I get the feeling it's going to be very difficult to talk to you."

"I suppose it's only fair. I prefer the company of dogs, and you prefer the company of humans." He gives him a strange half-grin from the side. "We are both at a disadvantage this way."

Akashi is silent for the rest of the journey back to where he'd first entered the manhole. Throughout the trip he listens to Shintaro and Kuroko made idle chat with one another, taking in their dynamic to better understand what exactly they mean to one another. 

It's not like Shintaro to take to someone so suddenly. As long as he had known him he had been extremely picky with who he interacts with, and had never held interest in anyone other than Akashi. He has to wonder what exactly about Kuroko makes him so special, as it would certainly take more than a pair of doe eyes to win him over. 

Regardless, he allows the two to help him back up where he'd come from, and once he's back on the ground he takes a deep breath of fresh air, savoring the feeling of cleaning out his lungs. He peers back into the hole where Kuroko and Shintaro both stand, patiently waiting for his attention.

"Don't come back here for at least a couple of days. If you are being watched, and I can almost guarantee you are, it will look extremely suspicious to be visiting the same place so often-especially if that place is a worn down, abandoned factory. We will send a dog when it's okay to visit again."

Akashi nods, and hesitantly waves at Shintaro. His shoulders stiffen and he returns the wave with a calculating look in his eyes. The hole is finally covered, and darkness descends upon blue and green.

For a long time, Akashi just stares at the rusty chain attached to the covering. On the other side of that covering is everything that he holds dear, everything he has ever known to be good in the world. Everything in there he could lose at any moment if he slips up in any way and accidentally alerts the council to his whereabouts.

The crisp air finally hits him and he shivers, holding his coat closer to his body in an effort to conserve heat. He spares the hole one last look before turning away and leaving the factory grounds, footsteps echoing across the empty husk of a building.

The walk home is unusually cold.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you find any mistakes because I am very bad at proofreading.


End file.
